In the US state of California, a series of wildfires has lost a piece of nature of record size. More than 8,000 square kilometers of forest have been destroyed by the fire. These are the most devastating wildfires in California since 1987.
The record is only an interim score, because the fires are still raging in dozens of places in the state, American reports media.
The authorities note that it is rare for the state to be ravaged by such major fires as early as September; normally this only happens in October and November.
The heat wave is expected to continue in the coming days. On Sunday the mercury rose to 49 degrees Celsius. That has never happened before in California. The hot wind makes fighting the fire almost impossible.
Governor has declared a state of emergency
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Monday. The emergency measure currently applies to five large counties, including San Diego and San Bernardino.
The largest seat of fire at Fresno destroyed some 18,000 acres of forest in three days and forced many thousands of people to evacuate. Roads in these five counties are closed.
One of the fires started at a gender reveal party
The first fires were started three weeks ago by a number of lightning strikes. More than 1.5 million hectares of forest have now been affected by the fire and more than ten thousand people are currently homeless.
One of the big new fires, in El Dorado County, started at a gender reveal party, reports BBC News. During the party – where the sex of an unborn child was revealed – a smoke machine was used. Sparks from the appliance started a fire. This fire has now spread over 3,000 hectares.
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